Mets beat Marlins to remain on top in NL wildcard race

Published 10:46 pm, Wednesday, September 28, 2016

New York’s Jay Bruce hugs Yoenis Cespedes (52) after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins Wednesday. The Mets won 5-2.

New York’s Jay Bruce hugs Yoenis Cespedes (52) after hitting a two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins Wednesday. The Mets won 5-2.

Photo: LYNNE SLADKY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Mets beat Marlins to remain on top in NL wildcard race

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MIAMI >> The Marlins walked half a block alongside a hearse carrying their ace away from Marlins Park at the start of a funeral motorcade Wednesday, and then peeled away with watery eyes to go back inside and play a game.

Drained by four days of grieving Jose Fernandez’s death, they didn’t have much left for the New York Mets.

Jay Bruce hit his 32nd home run, James Loney also homered and the Mets helped their NL wild-card chances by beating Miami 5-2.

New York began the night leading the Giants by half a game and the Cardinals by 1 1/2 games in the race for the two wild-card spots. The Mets conclude the regular season with three games at Philadelphia starting Friday.

The Marlins’ loss in their home finale eliminated them from playoff contention. Despite high hopes this year, they still haven’t been to the postseason since 2003.

That was the last thing on their minds five hours before first pitch. They wore T-shirts reading “RIP” while clustering around the limousine carrying Fernandez’s casket to church for a viewing. Spectators, including Mets players and manager Terry Collins, lined the start of the route.

“It was terrible,” Miami pitcher Tom Koehler said. “I never thought I’d have to be part of that. You have a 24-year-old who is on top of the world, and we’re walking behind his hearse. We’re watching Miami’s hero drive down the street.”

Added reliever Mike Dunn: “You felt like you were pushing off your brother.”

Sympathetic as they are, the Mets are also in a tight wild-card race. Loney hit a two-run homer in the second, and Bruce added a two-run homer in the fifth. Curtis Granderson went 4 for 4, and Jose Reyes doubled home a run.

Seth Lugo (5-2) went 5 1/3 innings and allowed two runs, both on Martin Prado’s eighth homer. Four relievers completed a seven-hitter, and Jeurys Familia pitched a perfect ninth for his 50th save, most in the majors.

Jose Urena (4-9) allowed five runs in five innings, hiking his ERA to 6.13.

RECORDS

The Mets finished 12-7 against Miami. The Marlins finished 40-40 at home.

GOOD SEATS STILL AVAILABLE

The announced crowd was 24,335. The Marlins finished last in the NL in attendance for the 11th time in the past 12 years, averaging 21,405 per game.

PITCHING PLANS

As the Mets chase one of the two wild-card berths, Collins is already weighing potential pitching decisions on the final day of the regular season Sunday, when Noah Syndergaard is scheduled to start.

“If you wake up Sunday morning and say, ‘OK, we’re in’, but we don’t necessarily have home-field advantage, do we use Syndergaard?” Collins asked. “Or do we say, ‘He’s going to pitch the first playoff game, no matter where it’s at?”’

If the Mets have clinched home-field advantage, they might start Syndergaard on Sunday and have him throw about 25 pitches to ensure he’s sharp for the wild-card playoff game on Wednesday.

“Otherwise he goes eight days without pitching,” Collins said.

UP NEXT

RHP Bartolo Colon (14-8, 3.42) might start Friday on short rest when the Mets open their final regular season series at Philadelphia. RHP Robert Gsellman (3-2, 2.56) is also an option, but Colon threw only 47 pitches when he took the loss Monday against Miami.

Marlins RHP Andrew Cashner (5-11, 5.13) will make his final start Friday at Washington.